AVENGERS remix: Patterns
by kaykay24
Summary: Re-write of the Avengers movie, with Tony Stark's niece Mila tagging along. She's a little... different than most people and she believes she can help the Avengers find the tesseract and Loki. My first try at fanfiction so take pity and check it out? Read & Review please. T for language
1. Ch 1: massage therapy

***I've never been one for fanfiction but recently saw the Avengers movie and just absolutely fell in love with the storyline. And plus this just seemed the perfect opportunity to create a character I've been thinking about for a while, just haven't had a place to put her yet. **

**I'd like to introduce Mila Stark, Tony Stark's niece. I'm going to meld her into the Avenger storyline; it's just something I do, create new characters and blend them into stories. I hope that's okay. Again, never really officially done this before, just wanted to try. **

**Let me know what you think. This is Chapter One, the Prologue, whatever you wanna call it. It'll get more exciting, I promise. Reviews please! HONEST ONES!***

Ironman gently landed on the balcony and began walking down the aisle that connected to the top floor of the Stark building. Each step corresponded with a whirl of machinery that peeled away his red and gold exoskeleton, effectively turning the lauded superhero Ironman into the genius billionaire playboy philanthropist Tony Stark.

"Tony! Hi." Pepper Potts clicked across the polished tile floor in her 3 inch heels, still dressed professionally as CEO of Stark Industries. As usual, she was carrying a phone and Bluetooth headset, which she had obviously just finished speaking into. "How was your day, sweetie."

"Oh, the usual. Had to fight off hordes of adoring fans as I patrolled the city looking for trouble or hot chicks. In distress. Hot chicks in distress. Or anyone in distress. Cause I'd help them too of course. But mainly the hot chicks."

"I thought you were working on the installation of the arc reactor to run us on completely clean energy."

"That fit in there too somewhere." Completely stripped of his metal suit, Tony stepped down and smiled at Pepper. "But I decided to call it quits a little early. It was getting a little stressful and I was kind of hoping for a massage."

"Great. Okay. Massage. I can do that. I can…I'll get changed."

"Hey. Potts." Tony put his hands on her shoulders. "Chill out a bit, darlin. I'm not just another item on your to-do list. Although if I was, I should definitely be number one. In fact, I should really be the _only_ thing on your to-do list." She nodded quickly. "You seem a little more stressed than usual, which for you, is unbelievably stressed beyond belief." He raised his eyebrows and tilted his head as he tried to maintain eye contact.

"What? Oh no, nothing, no, everything's great. Hey, by the way, how's your…have you heard from your sister lately?" Pepper coughed. "You know. Just…by the way."

Tony stepped back. "This is incredibly random, but nothing is random with you, so actually this is incredibly bad news, isn't it?" He didn't wait for her to answer. "I haven't heard from Chrissie in years, you know that. And that was at the reunion, where the only thing she said to me was 'look at Mila's baby pictures, isn't your niece precious', and I said no." He paused. "Come to think of it, that may be one of the reasons I haven't heard from her in years."

"Well, that's funny you mention Mila." Pepper paced a few steps away. "You realize you've never actually met your niece? That's a little sad, don't you think?"

"No. Oh, no, no, no, no. And in case you didn't hear me, no." Tony shook his head vehemently. "I see where this is going. And I do not approve. No. End of story, I don't want to visit my niece, she doesn't want to visit me, they all want nothing to do with me and I can say the same. For them, I want nothing to do with them. I want everything to do with me. Speaking of me, how's that massage looking?" He clapped his hands.

"That's not the end of the story. You haven't even heard me yet. And," Pepper took a deep breath, "for the record, it doesn't even matter what you say. I already said yes."

Tony said nothing, just blinked.

"Chrissie asked if Mila could come stay with us just for a little bit. As a student. She said she's extremely bright and quite advanced for her age, and frankly Chrissie doesn't know what to do with her. Mila's apparently a little bit of trouble as well, and your sister thinks it would be a great opportunity for her to get a glimpse of reality, what she could be working with if she pulls herself together. And I said yes." Pepper waited nervously for Tony's reaction, but getting none, she forged on. "She sounds just like you! And I thought, well, this is your family. You should reconnect-"

"She practically disowned herself from my family. She never wanted anything to do with being a Stark." Tony finally moved, turning and walking behind the bar counter to reach for a drink. "That's why she's sending _," he muttered, almost to himself. "Chrissie never could stand anomalies. She wanted a nice little life with a nice little house in a nice little town, settle down with a nice working husband and have 2.5 kids or whatever the American dream is these days."

"Tony, it doesn't matter what you want."

"It always matters what I want."

"Not this time. This time I'm thinking about someone else besides you."

Tony frowned. "I don't like that. Stop that. Think about me, like you always have."

Pepper couldn't help it, she smiled. "Okay, Tony. I promise that this was the last time." She started to walk out of the room.

"Hey, hey, where are you going?" Tony called. "Come back, sit down, let's have a drink and do that thing where I talk to you and you listen to me and then change your mind cause I'm always right."

"I'm going to go change, don't you want that massage?" she called without looking back. Tony stopped for a second, thought about it, and nodded slightly to himself. It was a good point. "But it doesn't matter," Pepper continued. "She's already on her way to the airport."

Tony groaned and flopped down on the nearest leather couch. "There's no use arguing, is there. So I should just shut up now?"

"If you want that massage, yes."

He shut up.


	2. Ch 2: The Stark legacy lives on

Pepper glanced in the rearview mirror yet again as her chauffeur put on his turn signal, banking smoothly into the mile-long "driveway" leading to Stark Industries. She studied the passenger sitting cross-legged in the backseat, trying to be subtle.

The dark-haired, pale-eyed girl was 16 but had a manner as if she was much older and more mature, and expected to be treated as such. She had been polite enough to Pepper and the driver, but hadn't said much more than the cordial formalities that had been exchanged when they first met at the airport. Now she sat quite comfortably in the high-model Lexus with an air about her as if she owned the expensive car, and the two adults up front were merely her useful methods of transport.

"Miss Potts," Mila said suddenly. Pepper jerked back slightly. This was the first time Mila had uttered a sound since entering the car. "You know," Mila continued conversationally, "if you wanted to scrutinize me even more thoroughly than you have been doing the entire ride, you might as well take a picture." Pepper could think of nothing in response except to open and close her mouth slightly. "It would last longer," Mila added almost cheerfully.

_Oh, Lord, _Pepper thought. _She truly is related to Tony._

: ~ - ~ :

Glancing behind her, Mila descended the spiral staircase carefully. As she always was when possible, she was barefoot; having kicked off her stylish sandals the moment she entered Uncle Tony's humble abode. This allowed her to feel any vibrations that might signify someone sneaking up behind her. Of course, her sharp hearing would most likely pick up even the sound of a quiet exhale from yards away, but why take chances?

The stairs were dark. It was no problem for her, as her animal-like eyes could have picked up the tiniest details in the cool metal steps if she glanced down. But her gaze was fixed straight ahead, on the glass doors that emerged before her. Tony Stark's workshop. Mila couldn't stop a small smile from spreading over her face. "Playtime," she whispered eagerly.

She couldn't help herself - she reached out and pulled on the handle, as if the doors would have been carelessly left unlocked. Of course, it didn't open, and she shrugged. Duh. A lighted panel popped up beside the door, asking for a personalized passcode.

"Oh, darn," Mila muttered. "I don't know the password, I can't get in." Then she laughed at her own joke. She placed her fingerpads lightly on the panel and passed them over the glass underneath. This was so simple. She didn't even need to try and find a pattern here. Panels and keyboards were honestly the easiest to crack, especially if they were right on the glass.

There. The slight indentations, complete with grease left behind from not-so-clean fingers, gave away the code that had been tapped numerous times. For a smart man, Uncle Tony was clearly not the sharpest crayon in the box. Mila entered the code and slipped in her uncle's workplace.

"You're not master Stark." A computerized voice immediately greeted her as soon as she stepped inside.

Mila smirked slightly. "Well…not master _Tony_ Stark, no." She glided over to the main computer system in the center of the room, trying to hold in her amazement. The superior technology…the advanced equipment… this was better than she had even dreamed.

"If you don't exit now, I will be forced to contact master Stark and inform him of an intruder."

"That won't be necessary, thank you." Mila stepped up and opened up the computer, which beeped at her, annoyed by the unauthorized entry. She paused to study the streaming numbers and letters of the firewall that denied her entry, and took a breath before closing her eyes for a second. But only a second.

Her pale blue eyes snapped open and refocused on the computer screen. It was no longer just a jumble of random symbols to her. It made sense now, and her fingers flew over the keyboard, cracking into the system with ease. "Hello…Jarvis!"

"Greetings, Mistress Stark. How may I be of service?"

"Oh, you can call me Mila. Pull up the newest blueprints that have lately been worked on." Jarvis complied, and suddenly she was surrounded by three-dimensional holographic images of Tony's latest projects. "Oh…" Lost in thought, Mila wandered among them, peering at a few that caught her interest. "Now this is interesting," she murmured, leaning closer to one in particular. "Jarvis, what is this?"

"A recent idea of Tony Stark's," Jarvis replied. "One he's all but given up on, I'm afraid. He's been trying to perfect his idea of an energy absorbent container that actually draws in and holds raw, pure energy, to be converted into useful methods. But his calculations keep coming in wrong."

"Expand," Mila muttered, and the project did just that, leaving her in the middle of a circle of projections and simulated calculations. She closed her eyes for another brief second, then opened. "Of course," she whispered, touching a row of numbers. "That shouldn't be there, that wouldn't make any sense. If he just switched…and moved this here…then that would…" She moved through the work Tony had done, shifting calculations and occasionally a piece on the design. Her fingers traced through the complicated jumble before her with ease, following paths no one else could see.

Enthralled, she was unaware of how much time was passing, until her super-sensitive ears caught the alarming noise of Pepper calling her name three stories above. Mila jerked back and cursed. She was almost done! With a sigh, she studied the hologram before her. "Ah, there you are." She flipped a glowing part upside down, reversed the accompanying calculation, and flicked it into place.

"Mistress Stark!" If it was possible for a robotic voice to sound surprised, Jarvis did. "You've just solved his unfinished equation! The idea is more than plausible, it is now a reality."

"Mila," she reminded him absentmindedly. "And yes. My uncle is obviously quite the genius. He and I really should talk down here sometime." Her dreamy smile disappeared, replaced by the slight scowl she usually wore. "Even though he probably won't let me down here, ever."

Pepper called her name again, and Mila groaned. She hurried back over to the computer and began shutting things down. The projects disappeared one by one, until the only one that remained was the holographic container she had been working on. Mila hesitated. She really wanted to leave it open for Uncle Tony to see, but figuring he wouldn't exactly be pleased, she closed it down.

"Save changes?" Jarvis asked.

"No," Mila replied sadly.

"Mistress Stark-"

"I said _no_, Jarvis," she snapped. The project shut off, and she sighed. "Maybe I can help him with it later," she added, but there was no hope in her voice. "Oh, Jarvis," she called, poised to shut down the entire system. "Don't you think it would be better if you forgot I was here?"

"Well, perhaps, but-" the computerized voice started.

"That really wasn't a question." Mila typed a command into the computer, effectively wiping out any memory of entry by anyone other than Tony Stark or his authorized cohorts. When he came back down, there would be no trace of her work, and Jarvis wouldn't remember a thing.

She slipped through the glass door and started up the stairs, already fabricating a plausible story of where she had been and why she was coming up this way. "Back to reality," she muttered with a roll of her eyes.


	3. Ch 3: On her way

_**Wow! People actually like my story! After the first chapter, I only had a few reads and no reviews. But I decided I'm finishing it anyway because I like the Avengers and because I like Mila and because I like writing and because f*** you, that's why. (I like saying that but I can't bring myself to write the actual word because I am really a nice person I promise, so most of the time I just say it in my head.) **_

_**But anyway, thanks for the reads & reviews on that chapter! If you think it's too boring, if I spend too much time on conversation and not enough time on action, whatever, let me know. I just really like Tony Stark and his witticisms so I enjoy writing Mila's and Tony's banter. Well without further ado, ladies and gentlemen and anything else: chapter 3. **_

_**(PS I do not own the Avengers. Obviously.)**_

Iron Man landed gently on the balcony of Stark Tower, still dripping water from when he had been working in the ocean. The machinery buzzed around him, peeling off the metal helmet to uncover the tired, worn face of Tony Stark. It was like déjà vu. Every day for the past couple weeks had ended just like this. Although, if it were to be just like the last couple weeks, at least he had Pepper to look forward to, Tony thought to himself.

The idea cheered him slightly. He already could imagine how the conversation would go once he got inside. _How was your day, oh it was so hard, I'm sorry to hear that let's go to bed together._ Well, maybe it wouldn't go exactly like that. But somewhere along those lines would be good.

The room was darkened when Tony entered, but there was someone in the kitchen area; a slight, feminine silhouette. He smiled gently, a rare softness emerging that not many people knew existed. And for those many people it didn't. Just for Pepper. And only sometimes.

"Work was so tough today," he complained, stepping down. "But you know what the only thing that kept me going was? The thought of…food, of course. Your delicious cooking. Hamburger Helper tonight again I hope?" Pepper didn't answer, and Tony frowned slightly. Maybe she was in one of her moods again, where she liked to be talked to like a normal person. As in, sans witty sarcasm. Not really his best mode of communication. But for her, he would try.

Shifting gears, he decided to be smooth. That was his second native language, trailing the sarcasm. "I was really hoping for another deep-tissue massage tonight," he purred, moving closer to the kitchen. "Like, _deep_ tissue. Waaayy deep. So deep it could be illegal. Ooh, and usually in illegal situations, what does one use? Handcuffs, of course. I'm feeling some cuff action tonight. Or any action. As long as it's in bed. What do you say?"

"I say, that's the worst sexy-talk I've ever heard coming out of a grown man's mouth," laughed the shadowy figure. "Scratch that, out of _anyone's _mouth. And I watch a lot of stupid sappy soap operas. Is that where you learned to speak like that? You do seem kinda like a man who watches _Lifetime_. And not just with his girl. The kind who watches it alone. And cries at it, too."

Tony Stark was, for the first time in a long time, completely and utterly flabbergasted. He had no snappy comeback, no snarky reply.

"They said you were a man of few words, but I was at least expecting something," continued the voice, still in silhouette.

"You're…I…Pepper?" Tony managed to force out.

"Well, that's not the something I was expecting. But it's progress I guess." She laughed again - - a cynical, yet somehow girlish, sound.

A door opened, and Tony whirled, still trying to comprehend what was happening. Who the hell was here in his house. _His _house. Where the only people allowed were him and Pepper, and he liked it that way.

The lights clicked on, and Pepper stopped in the doorway. "Tony! I was just coming to greet you…"

_What the hell is going on._ He turned to check the kitchen again.

"Hi Uncle Tony!" chirped the figure, now easily visible as a slender teenaged girl with shoulder-length dark brunette hair and pale, pale blue eyes. They were remarkable, nearly transparent. She was leaning smugly against the polished granite countertop as if she owned the place, with arms crossed and a small impish smile dancing over her otherwise unreadable features. Her feet were bare.

"Tony," began Pepper nervously, "this is Mila. Mila Stark. Your niece." Tony and Mila were obviously cut from the same cloth, which meant this was not going to be pretty.

"I would say pleased to meet you, but then I'd be lying," Tony said curtly. His feelings were still mildly hurt and he wanted to redeem himself.

"Oh, and you're just all about the honesty, aren't you," answered Mila sarcastically.

"When it comes to annoying little girls, yes, I've found it to be the best policy." Ignoring Pepper's death stare, he continued. "So. Mila _Stark_, hmm?" He rolled the name around in his mouth. "How interesting. I never would have pinned Chrissie as one to keep her abhorrent last name. Isn't she married to some do-gooder who brings home the bacon while she sews and cooks and drives you to soccer games?"

Meeting his eyes evenly, Mila tried not to let her slight intimidation show. "My father…"

"…was a drinker," Tony cut in, slurring his words in a bad Heath Ledger imitation. He winked sardonically. "Where's your scars, huh?"

Pepper couldn't help herself. "Tony!" she rebuked sharply, to which she received a shrug.

Mila let out an accidental genuine laugh before she composed herself. "Well, plastic surgery does wonders. But I see you already figured that out." She winked conspiratorially right back, pleased to see a spark of mirth in Uncle Tony's eyes. "Anyway, my father left us when I was a small child. My mother apparently hated his last name even more than yours, so she switched back to her maiden name. Then she remarried a few years ago, but I kept Stark as my last name. I thought it suited me better than Burkowitz." She took a slight breath, ready to switch to a more serious tone. "It doesn't just suit me better, though. I _am_ a Stark. Like you."

Tony chuckled. "Yeah, well, no one's like me. Thank your lucky stars for that. Although, having a couple more me's around might not be too bad. I did privatize world peace once. Imagine what a whole team of Tony Starks could do." He grinned condescendingly to let her know it was a joke. "Seriously though. You may be able to pull out a few witty one-liners now and then, and maybe you're pretty smart for a kid. Like even a teen genius or whatever. But when you own the biggest most successful business in the world, live in a gigantic building with your name on it, solve the clean energy crisis, and - - oh yeah - - become a _superhero_, then come talk to me."

"I didn't say I _was_ you, just that I was _like_ you," Mila snapped. "And right now that's not looking too desirable anymore. Maybe I don't want to be like you. But we have the same type of mindset. That's what I'm saying. I can help you! You may not believe it but I can." She looked into Uncle Tony's eyes and to her dismay saw amusement, mixed with mild disbelief and even scorn. "We think alike," she added desperately in an attempt to make him understand.

With a smirk, Tony shook his head. "I can guarantee you that we're definitely not thinking alike right now." He shot a suggestive glance at Pepper, then looked back at Mila and raised his eyebrows in an if-you-know-what-I-mean sort of face. Pepper sighed and rolled her eyes up at the ceiling, but not before a slight blush crept over her cheeks.

Mila was speechless for a moment and, sensing victory, Tony pressed on. "Listen, it was real nice chatting with you. But-fun fact-flying around all day in a very heavy, top-notch, state-of-the-art metal Iron Man suit gets extremely hot and tiring. Thus, I am hot and tired. I just want to relax, kick back, kick around a little. In my own home. I think that's allowed. So why don't you take a self-guided tour?"

"I already did that," Mila said icily. She debated whether or not to tell him about her little detour into his workplace.

Before she could say anything, Tony cut in. "So take another one. But this time stay out of the bedroom." He grinned, but it was cut short by the ringing of his phone. "Oh, for the love of… Coulson? Ah, yeah. I'm not home right now."

Jarvis's cool robotic voice cut in. "Sir, Agent Coulson is demanding you answer. He insists it's quite important."

"It's really not. I don't want to talk to him. Say I'm not home."

"Sir, he is breaking through my security system!" Jarvis sounded a tad miffed.

"Stark?" came Coulson's voice through Tony's phone. He sighed and held it up.

"Uh, you are now speaking to the life size decoy answering machine of Tony Stark. Please leave a message after the - "

"Sir!" came Jarvis urgently. Behind them, the door hissed open. Mila looked up in surprise. It was a bland, slightly shorter than average man, with a cell phone held next to his ear and an annoyed look on his otherwise mild face. His combed-over thinning hair was slightly graying, although he wasn't that old. His eyes were a plain mix of gray and brown, and although they were alert and pointed, they carried a world of weariness and sadness behind them, as if he had seen too many things in his life that no one should see, or that anyone would ever believe.

"Phil!" Pepper said warmly, going over to greet him.

Tony followed warily behind. " 'Phil'? I'm pretty sure his first name is 'Agent'."

They began talking something about some sort of shield, and Mila felt it was time to intervene. "Who's this?" she asked loudly, causing the three adults to turn in surprise.

"An old friend," Tony answered shortly. "Not by choice, though." He swiped a Rubix cube off a nearby desk and tossed it to her. "Here, go play. You're smart. Smart kids love stuff like this." He turned back to Coulson, who handed Pepper a computer, who handed it to him. "Oh boy. I thought I wasn't any part of this."

"We didn't want you to be. But we have no choice. We need your help." They all stood facing one another again, lost in a private conversation.

Mila stood turning the Rubix cube over and over in her hands, steaming. She could feel herself slipping away from any sort of redemption with her uncle. He clearly didn't understand or respect her, only saw her as a bothersome child. And she was so much more. Why didn't they see? Why couldn't they take her seriously? She'd just have to _make_ them, then. "I'll help," she burst out, surprising even herself at how commanding and steady her young voice was.

Agent Coulson frowned slightly at this impertinent teenager. "I'm not sure you understand, Miss. This is a very serious matter. It would be best if you left the room, actually." He cast a perplexed glance at Tony, who mouthed back, _my niece_.

"Oh, leave the room? To do what? This?" Mila threw the Rubix cube back at Tony, who caught and examined the puzzle. It was completely solved. "I'm not just a kid, sir. I'm something more. And that's why I came here, to my uncle's place. I want to _do_ something more. Whatever he can do, I can do. I promise you that. Actually, I can probably do it better. I can help you. I can crack any code, any security system, any firewall. I can solve any equation or calculation. I - -"

"Cute party trick." Tony was quickly losing patience with Mila, with Coulson, with everyone who wasn't himself or Pepper. "Now break into this. Maybe then I'll be a little impressed." He handed over the computer from Coulson. "You know what, keep it. I don't want anything to do with it."

Ignoring Coulson's objections, Mila took the computer and opened it. "Wow," she breathed. "This is impressive security. Pretty high-level government stuff, higher than, I'd say, even the Secret Service. That's just from past experience though. But this is serious shit."

Coulson raised his eyebrow. "And you would know that, because…"

"Never mind," Mila answered quickly. She closed her eyes for a moment, then opened. Her fingers flew over the keys with furious speed. "Aaaaannndddd…there we go!" Projections of images, documents, and films began popping up around her. "Whoa." Her eyes went wide, and she leaned in closer to study a video in which what appeared to be the Jolly Green Giant, except not quite so jolly. "This is…new."

Pepper gasped, Tony cocked his head, and Coulson whispered, "How did you do that?" All three looked impressed, even though Tony tried to hide it. Mila smiled. Finally, they were beginning to take her seriously. This was her big moment to explain. She couldn't screw it up.

"Well…there are…patterns everywhere, in everything. Everything manmade. There are patterns in nature, too, but not as frequently. You see, humans crave order; we need it. Nothing scares us more than disorder and chaos. That's why there are patterns in everything we do. No matter how random actions may seem, or how jumbled you tell a computer to make a code, there is always a pattern - - even in decision making, even in emotion. And I can see those patterns. I can understand them."

She paused to study their slightly shocked faces, then decided to reveal another of her secrets. "And that's partly due to the fact that my senses are super-enhanced. I'm not sure why or how. But I can see farther and clearer than one of you could with binoculars. I can feel the vibration of Uncle Tony slightly tapping his toe inside his shoe. I can smell the hand sanitizer Coulson's wearing from yesterday. I can hear the man down on the street arguing with the taxi driver over his change. Which he's wrong about, by the way. It should be $2.14. My brain…processes things differently. And whatever agency, affiliation, government branch, or whatever you're working with," she spoke directly to Coulson, "and whatever it is you're looking for, I can help you."

Coulson was looking at her with intent interest, but Tony would have none of it. "That is creepy and strange and has nothing to do whatsoever with what we're doing here. He doesn't need your help. He doesn't want your help. He is not going to accept your help."

"Uncle Tony-"

"No Uncle!" he exploded. "No Uncle. Tony. Say Tony. You know what? Say goodbye. Because you are leaving. You too," he added to Pepper, almost sadly. "You both are getting out of here while I go over this." He nodded shortly to Coulson. "Yeah, I'll go over this. I'll consider it. That's my best offer. But you have to get them out of here. Take her" - - he pointed to Pepper - - "to my private airlines, she can go wherever she wants as long as it's safe. And take her" - - Mila - - "to the airport. She can go home."

Coulson studied Mila for a few more thoughtful moments before facing Tony. "All right, Stark. I can do that."

Mila's mind was churning. Just like that? She was shut down? Her thoughts raced back and forth, trying to come up with the right plan, even as Pepper gently took her arm. She didn't resist and allowed herself to be led out of the door. With a nod to Tony, Coulson followed, lines of thought still etched on his brow.

Before the door closed, Mila turned and looked Tony straight in the eye. "You know," she remarked, "this tower has _my_ name on it too." A slight smirk matched her strangely confident tone. Then they were gone. Tony turned back to the computer holograms, trying to ignore the feeling that he would be seeing Mila Stark again soon...very soon.

_**Whoa, sorry for the long chapter. I just had to keep writing. Thoughts? Hm? Oh, btw, the Heath Ledger/Joker reference was from my favorite movie of all time, **_**Dark Knight. **_**Hope you liked it ok bye.**_


	4. Ch 4: Eyes like open doors

_**Woohoo! Finished this chapter in the same night (well, morning for me) as the other one. That is dedication. Or perhaps the result of having no life. Meh. Oh well. Hope you enjoy! I particularly liked writing this chapter, because it introduces...LOKI! **_

_**We now pause for a moment of fangirling. **_

_**Okay, done. Proceed. And, like always, I do not own the Avengers. Duh.**_

"You know, for a famed god - - especially one of mischief or mayhem or whatever it is you like to promote - - that wasn't much of a fight." Iron Man shoved his prisoner into the back of the quinjet, where Agent Romanoff and Captain Goody Two-Shoes (more widely known as Captain America) strapped him into a seat and secured his bonds. "I mean, really," Iron Man continued. "I flew all the way out to Germany for this? Pathetic, actually."

Cap fixed the famed metal man with a gaze of steel. "Don't gloat. He's been known to have more than a few tricks up his sleeve."

"Pshh. Trust me. With that fabulous tight-fitting jacket, there's not much room for anything up his sleeves. Come on, buddy, lighten up!" Tony flipped up his helmet to smile at his new teammate. "Although, I'm gonna be honest with you, Stevie, it's really not as tight as _some_ articles of clothing that _some_ people here have chosen to wear." He clapped Cap on the shoulder and cast a meaningful glance at his wonderfully patriotic spandex.

Natasha rolled her eyes. "Stark, leave Rogers be for now. There'll be plenty of time to get to know each other back at the base." She turned to face the cockpit and called, "ready for departure?"

"When you are, Agent!" An aide wearing a headset walked back. "She's all good to go, I've got the engines fired up and now just waiting on your commands."

Tony had stiffened at the first sound of the aide, and now he snapped his head around to confirm his worst nightmare. "And just what," he asked in a voice dripping with derision, "do _you_ think you're doing here?"

Mila flashed him her biggest, winningest smile. "Uncle Tony! Wow, imagine meeting you here. It's such a small world, isn't it?"

"I told you, knock it off with the Uncle," Tony replied through gritted teeth. He whirled to face Natasha, who straightened to look at him with thinly veiled disinterest. "Did you know she was on here?"

"Yes," Natasha replied coolly.

"And," continued Tony, trying to keep his anger in check, "did you know that she's sixteen years old?"

"Stark, there's not much going on around here that I don't know."

"So why in the name of all that is good and holy is she here, on this jet, with this team, heading back to God knows where?"

Natasha sighed, as if explaining would take up her valuable time. "Coulson introduced her to me via videophone in his car. I was very impressed by her. Fury was too, actually. She's am extremely interesting young lady, exhibiting some extremely interesting skills that we felt could be an asset to our mission. She's also quite persuasive, according to Coulson."

"Persuasive's a new one, but annoying and severely delusional I've heard before." Tony glared at Mila, who couldn't hold back the fact that she was bursting with pride. "Where the hell is Coulson. He and I need to have a few words."

"Agent Coulson's up in the cockpit, waiting to take off," Mila informed him. "Which we should be doing very soon, don't you agree, Agent Romanoff?"

"Oh ho ho, don't you have them all fooled," Tony snorted. He nudged Natasha. "You know this is all an act, right? She's actually disrespectful, sarcastic, and mean. All the time. To everyone." Natasha gently took the elbow with which he had touched her and traced her fingers around it. "Um, what are you doing?"

The corner of her mouth lifted slightly. "Just mapping out which bone I would break if you weren't in your suit. And as for Mila, well, she takes after her uncle then, I'd say. She just happens to do a better job of hiding it."

Mila inclined her head with a grin. "And I'm prettier, too." She headed back into the cockpit.

Once she was gone, Tony looked Natasha in the eyes. "In all seriousness here, Romanoff. Do you really think it's a good idea to have a teenage girl, completely untrained and unaware of what she's gotten herself into, here in the middle of all this? Cause, I don't. And last time I checked, I was kind of the brains of this operation."

"Tony, Tony, Tony. I don't know when the last time you checked was, but you are far from being even close to the brains of this 'operation'." Natasha paused. "And as for Mila…she's really something special. She sat down at the controls of this jet for three seconds, and she could control it better than people who have spent years training. She doesn't just have a sixth sense, but her other five are more than extraordinary as well. Fury is very, very interested in her."

"She's so young," Tony hissed, dropping all witticism.

"I was younger," Natasha replied softly. "Much, much younger. And I didn't have what she has." Mila reappeared and nodded at the female agent, and Natasha disappeared back up front.

"So," the teenager began conversationally, with a coy glance at her uncle. "I - - "

"Let's just get one thing straight." Tony moved two steps so he was right in front of his niece, looking down into her unsettling gaze. "You should not be here. I don't why you would _want_ to be here. You have no goddamn idea what you got yourself into, and after five minutes of this crap you're going to be begging to be back home with mama. This is not a vacation. This is a trip to hell, and for some people it's going to be one-way. This is a war. And children have no right to be in a war. I don't care what you can do. You. Should. Not. Be. Here."

"Oh, listen to Tony Stark, once again not practicing what he preaches. Aren't you the guy who doesn't give a shit about the rules? Who doesn't listen to anyone and does what he wants? I'm pretty sure that's you. And you know what? I deserve to be here. Maybe more than you. Because I _do_ want to be here. I can help these people, and I will give my help willingly, which is a hell of a lot more than I can say for you." Mila was practically shouting now, standing on her toes to be level with her uncle. "There are patterns, Uncle Tony. Patterns everywhere. I can see them. And there are patterns here, in this mission, that might just save people's lives."

"Enough with the goddamn patterns!" Tony snapped.

"They're all I know!" Mila was suddenly very conscious of the fact she had screamed that last sentence, and she glanced around, embarrassed. Captain America was standing as far towards the end as was possible, looking very uncomfortable; while the prisoner sat silently as a shadow, head turned and eyes closed. He might have even been sleeping, but Mila somehow got the feeling he had been listening very intently.

"They're all I know," Mila repeated, this time in a whisper. She glanced back up at her uncle, silently pleading with him to get it. Surely, out of everyone on the planet, he would be the one person who could have a chance at understanding her. "And I have to use them somehow, Uncle Tony. They might as well be for good."

Tony let out a sigh. "I'm not sure what you think is 'for good'. But this sure as hell ain't it." He went to stand by Captain America - - at this point, he'd take the 70's soldier's annoyingly charming old-fashioned ways over Mila. "By the way…" Mila looked hopefully at him. "Don't call me Uncle," he finished. "God. You'd think a smart kid like you would hear it the 500th time." He shook his head and turned away.

Defeated, Mila dropped into the nearest seat, the one right across the aisle from the prisoner. "I heard you," she murmured, so quietly she wasn't even sure if she had said it aloud. "I just didn't want to listen."

She put her elbows on her knees and rested her head in her hands, gazing off to the side, looking at nothing but remembering everything. How her mother would give her almost that same exact head shake Tony just had, as if she couldn't believe this was her child. How her parents would whisper long into the night, trying to make sense of how their technologically brilliant child - - who had gotten in trouble for hacking into the government database - - was failing school. How she would go through her days following patterns and paths no one else could see. How she didn't know what to do to make her senses stop working overtime, or her brain to stop overprocessing and analyzing every little thing. How she didn't know how to be normal, or what that was, or if she even wanted to _be_ it.

With a shiver, Mila became aware of someone staring at her. It was the porcelain-skinned, sable-haired man who was restrained in the seat three yards away from her. Out of habit, she raised her eyes defiantly to his.

She was instantly struck by his dark, intense glare. His eyes were the most terrifyingly beautiful thing she had ever seen, a deep otherwordly green that had locked onto her own pale blue orbs, and a line from one of her favorite songs flitted unbeckoned across her mind: _"How can you see through my eyes like open doors…"_ She felt like a specimen trapped under a magnifying glass as his unrelenting gaze refused to leave hers. There was nowhere to look but back, and she did so, oddly frightened.

_Why the hell am I scared?_ Mila wondered suddenly. _He _wants _me to be scared._

Straightening, Mila returned the man's stare with equal intensity, peering into his eyes as deeply as he was hers. His gaze flickered for a millisecond, but it wasn't with surprise, she realized in the back of her mind. It was pleasure.

No time to dwell on that, though. She studied his almost glowing eyes. The obvious expression presented in them was indifference, nearly boredom, flecked with mild interest, as if she were the only thing on board worthwhile enough to even look at. Yet there were other emotions simmering beneath the surface. Mila explored deeper. Still interest, yes, but it was intense and scrutinizing now. A touch of cockiness which she got the feeling never really left him. But under those…a sad mixture so potent and strong it made her gasp involuntarily.

Hate and fear intertwined so tightly she wasn't sure if he feared his hatred or hated his fear. An undercurrent of jealousy, anger. And a sense of deep, desperate longing, so powerful it took her breath away. Her lips soundlessly formed a word, a name. "Loki…"

Loki? Shit!

With an enormous effort, Mila wrenched her gaze away and stood up. Of course that was Loki. What the hell. The god of mischief, magic; he of the silver tongue. What the hell. She had been briefed on him. What the bloody hell. Her thoughts tumbled over and over in her head.

"Miss, are you all right?" A strong hand gripped her arm, and she looked into the concerned, chiseled face of Captain America, Steve Rogers. Even in her confused state, she couldn't help the one coherent thought that bounced to the front of her mind: _God, he's hot_.

"She's fine," called Tony. "Scared of heights I'll be, huh kid." He snorted. Still at a loss for words, Mila curled her lip at him and shook her head.

"Then what's wrong?" asked Cap, still worried.

Mila forced a laugh. "Oh - - nothing. I just…it's…heh, sitting for too long, you know?" She gave a wan smile. "I just need to stand up for a little, I guess." He nodded and stepped away, and Mila let out a breath.

What's wrong?

Gazing into Loki's eyes had been disconcerting, yes. Because it had looked familiar. Had felt familiar.

It had been like gazing into her own eyes.

: ~ - ~ :

Loki settled back into his seat. The girl was quite interesting and could prove to be a very useful asset to possess. Yes. She was talented as well, he mused. Of course, he hadn't been shielding his emotions very strongly, but still. He hadn't expected to be penetrated as deeply as he had been; he had felt almost violated…and he certainly hadn't expected to feel a connection…

_Stop_, he commanded himself, and with a slight head shake banished the thoughts to the back of his mind. The girl was a human, a tool, nothing more.

The side of Loki's mouth twitched. What a wonderfully pleasant surprise. He had come to SHIELD expecting one advantage, and now he had two.

The god of mischief allowed a small, sly smile to slowly play over his lips.

_**Oooooh. Is that a cliffhanger? I actually enjoy cliffhangers, expect more in forthcoming chapters. All right. Going to bed. I'll probably update tomorrow. This is fun! PS do you think I'm making Tony a bit OOC? Or is this a protective, serious side of him breaking through that not many people get to see? Opinions please! I love them!  
**_


	5. Ch 5: The girl and the god

_**- Thank you guys so much for reading. Any/all ideas & reviews are appreciated! I wasn't going to write today but seeing as my Criminal Minds marathon just started recording and I can't watch anything else while said Criminal Minds marathon is recording, it's back to the Mac I guess.  
- Yes, I am aware Tony is slightly OOC. For that I apologize profusely. He is my favorite character in all Avengers (beside Loki), I love his mannerisms and I try to imagine them in his voice before I write them. However, I have to balance his and Mila's new relationship in the way that he feels responsible for her; and this being quite a new feeling for Mr. Stark, he's not exactly sure how to react. Suggestions are welcome but not promised to be acted upon.  
- Enough of me. Chapter 4. Oh yeah, I DON'T OWN THE AVENGERS kbye**_

Mila wandered along a corridor of the SHIELD ship ship - - the new unofficial term for the flying monstrosity that the agency now called its headquarters. The name had been accidentally coined by Mila herself, who on sight of the massive thing couldn't help but burst out "Oh my God. It's a battleship. That flies like a spaceship. It's a ship ship!" Unfortunately, she had been surrounded by three Avengers and a special agent that happened to find that hilarious and had wasted no time in relaying the new term to the rest of the team. Mila had scowled for a good 30 minutes after that, displeased by how much it had sounded like the ramblings of a little child.

Even now, as she thought of how uproariously the adults had laughed at her, a frown crept over her face. _Oh, and can't forget the meeting with the rest of the Avengers, and how just fine and dandy _that _went_. Her frown deepened with the memory.

It had been a complete disaster. With Tony undermining Fury and poking fun every chance he got, Rogers trying to maintain a sense of leadership but failing because he didn't follow most of the conversation, Natasha sitting coolly detached except for the times she would try and turn the conversation to some guy named Barton, Banner observing meekly, and Thor roaring in his strange accent while slamming his fist on every available surface, nothing had been gotten done. No one had established anything.

Except for one thing. In an almost unanimous decision - - Natasha was the only one against - - all the Avengers agreed Mila should not be here.

It had hurt. Almost physically. Mila could practically feel the breath leave her body as one by one, the very people she wanted to help gave her the same disapproving look as they shook their heads and pressed their lips together and sighed over how young she was. There had been no chance to impress them, not even to show them what she could do.

Mila bit her lip and shut her eyes, forcing back the hot tears that threatened to spill over her lids. The same tears had been the cause of her running departure from the briefing room, which probably hadn't helped her case. It didn't even matter anymore, though. She almost wished there had been a door to slam on her way out. But the one thing she would not do was let them see her cry.

"Oh!" Mila uttered a small yelp when she bumped headfirst into someone. "I'm really sorry," she started apologizing, "I wasn't looking where…"

"No, no, the fault is all mine," replied a familiarly deep voice. "I was gazing into the future, not into the path in front of me!" Thor let out a hearty laugh at his own cleverness, and when Mila made no comment, he stopped and studied her. "Ah, niece of Tony!"

A small smile escaped when she heard that. When Thor had learned her relation to Friend Tony, he insisted on calling her that, which of course annoyed her uncle to no end.

"What are you doing, wandering these grand halls? Does sleep evade you as well?"

"I wouldn't really call these halls grand," Mila answered. "Or even halls, for that matter. Don't you come from a palace? In a city? On another planet? I'm sure your halls are much grander than these."

Thor nodded seriously. "Aye, the halls of my palace are far more beautiful than these plain metal ones."

"Hmm…" Mila glanced around, pretending to be contemplating. "Actually, on second thought, I'm sure there are no halls anywhere - - this planet, yours, or any other - - that can surpass these in any way, shape, or form."

"You are sorely mistaken!" Thor growled. "The palace in which I was raised in sported decorations in its _cellars_ that would put to shame even the finest pieces of midgardian art. And worth far more, as well; not only in gold, but in the rich cultural - -"

Mila couldn't help it, she giggled. Thor looked at her in surprise. "Ah, you jest."

"That I do," Mila responded merrily. She giggled again, remembering his stone-serious face as he defended his Asgardian home.

"That is an expression which suits you well," Thor told her, peering into her red-rimmed eyes. "One which I do not think you wear nearly as often as you should."

Mila could feel herself shut down again as she turned away and said in a cool, polite tone, "Thank you."

"You are angry with our decision," Thor murmured.

"Oh, how perceptive of you," Mila answered sarcastically, still facing away. "What gave it away? The look on my face, or the fact I ran out of the room? And they say your brother is the only mind reader…"

"So much bitterness for one so young," commented Thor.

"What if I wasn't young?" Mila snapped, whirling to face him with fire in her eyes. "Because that's the only thing people seem to see when they look at me. They don't notice what I can do, or how remarkable it is. If I was older, it would be amazing. But no. Since I'm a 16-year-old girl, it's freakish and strange. They say I shouldn't spend my time hacking government databases, but what else am I supposed to do? School is a joke to me, it means nothing. And when I try to help people, I can't. Because, surprise, I'm too young!" Chest heaving, she defiantly faced down the god of thunder.

"You are so angry, child." Mila stiffened when he said that. "Anger only leads to downfall. Trust me, I have been an example of that. Many times over. And even still, I am in the middle of such an example." He studied her. "You remind me of my brother."

"We're both misunderstood," Mila answered simply. Her heart fluttered a little at the comparison which she herself had made hours earlier. _His eyes were like mirrors of mine._

Thor shook his head. "Loki is indeed misunderstood, primarily by himself. He rushes headlong into mischief like a…like a…" He frowned slightly and held up his index fingers to his head. "What is it that you call this animal?"

Mila snorted. "A bull?"

"Yes!" Thor let loose his Crest-advertisement-worthy grin, pleased with himself. "He has convinced himself that hatred and anger is the only answer because he feels it is all he has ever been shown. That is further from the truth than a human mind can fathom."

"Yeah, well, my human mind isn't exactly normal. I might be able to fathom it," Mila replied humorlessly. She turned and began to walk away. With a few quick strides, Thor caught up with her and matched his long legs to her pace. When she glared up at him, he smiled obliviously back. "Are you always this…aggravatingly _perfect_?" The golden-haired god cocked an eyebrow questioningly at her. "Like, honestly. You're the poster good guy. Sweet, strong, smart… uhh. Well, you're sweet and strong. And you seem genuinely concerned about me. Plus, let's be honest here, you're not too bad on the eyes. Shit, you're downright _hot_."

Thor frowned slightly. "No, actually, not at the moment. It's a bit chilly in here, and this cape is rather thin fabric."

Mila stared, openmouthed. "And the best part is, you're for _real_ when you say stuff like that. You're like the Norse mythological version of Captain America. But better."

"Why, thank you?" Thor considered her words. Steve Rogers was quite an admirable man, so he decided to accept them as a compliment. "But I am genuinely concerned about you. I do not wish to see you take the same path my brother did. Perhaps if I had tried to understand him…had talked to him…" his eyes took on a faraway glaze, then snapped back to reality. "If I can offer help to someone in need, I do it. What is it about your mind that is not normal?"

Mila studied him. His open gaze held nothing but sincerity and kindness, undercut by a gentle bittersweet sadness. _So different from Loki_. But was he better? Either way, she decided to trust him; partly out of the fact that she couldn't trust anyone else and partly because she liked the way he talked.

As they strolled along the Bridge, Mila did her best to describe her heightened senses and the consequent patterns she saw in every aspect of life. She kept the terminology plain and the explanations simple; but even so, when she finished talking, she got the feeling she would have been better off trying to explain quantum physics to a three-year-old. "Do you…did you get that?" she asked hesitantly.

Thor blinked, trying not to let his utter confusion show in his blue eyes. "I did not get many of the words you used," he admitted. "But," he added hurriedly when he saw Mila's shoulders droop, "I understood the idea behind them. Your mind is superior to many of your race. And that is something to be proud of, not hide. Yes, they may be frightened of you. Your civilization is not one that readily accepts those who are different. Trust me, I know," he said with a wry smile. "Apparently small towns in New Mexico do not often receive visitors from worlds away who control the power of lightning." This elicited a small smile from Mila in return. "Because of this, I fear you shall face difficulties in your life. But you will be able to overcome them. You are a strong young maiden, one who has the brave heart of a warrior yet the sharp mind of a…" He stopped, searching for a fitting word. "A…"

"A strategist?" Mila filled in, assuming he was looking for something military.

"Yes, that works." Thor chuckled, slightly embarrassed. "I may have the heart of a thousand warriors, but I have the mind of only one; and not the brightest one at that."

Mila laughed outright, and Thor smiled, pleased he could amuse the girl by doing something as simple as talking. He still wasn't sure why his honest words caused the other Avengers to chuckle as well, though. It must be something about humans.

"There's…something else I can do," Mila admitted, surprising herself. She hadn't ever told anyone else about this. "I'm not sure if it's because of my senses or what, but…I can read people. Not really their minds, although I can guess pretty much what they're thinking. More like, I can read emotions, and their eyes, and know what kind of person they are." She stopped. "It's weird, I know. It's not even really that special. I might just be making it up. I - - "

Thor held up a hand, stopping her rambling words. "Can you read me? And tell me what you see?"

"I guess," Mila replied, slightly taken aback at how easily he had accepted it. She sighed and looked full on into his eyes. "You are…confident, and strong. You move through your world with the grace and pride of a lion, and everyone looks up to you, and you know it, and yet you aren't overly cocky or arrogant." She frowned a little. "You used to be, though, and a little bit still lingers. Here, you're unsure of yourself because everything is so different. You hide it well though."

Thor motioned for her to go on, and Mila steeled herself to dig in deeper. "You love your brother and miss him so much, you wish everything could be back to the way it was. You know how unlikely that is but you can't help wishing for it. You are a man torn in half, by your love for your brother and your duty to your home. You know Loki is a monster but you know it's not really Loki in there, and if you can just talk to him, you can get through to him…you can change him…just listen, oh Loki, why won't you listen? You love him, why doesn't he listen?"

Tears were streaming down both their faces. Mila almost couldn't breathe, she was so intertwined with Thor's innermost feelings. A rolling ocean of love, loss, and heartbreak; anchored by a sense of duty that weighed down his heart like a stone, because he knew if it all came down to it, he might have to strike the blow to end Loki. Confused anguish came rolling off him like waves. "You don't know if you'll be able to do it," Mila whispered as she sank to her knees. She had never been so immersed in a person's emotions before.

Thor knelt beside her, and she took his hand in hers as they silently mourned together. No words were needed. The girl and the god were almost one in their grief for themselves, for Loki, for loss, for the world.

_**- Well, damn. That turned out way more gravely serious (and longer!) than I had intended. Not sure if I like it, but I'm going to stick with it. This chapter got away from me. Sorry it wasn't very exciting. Update….later today? Or tomorrow? Thanks for reading and reviewing! You guys make me squeal every time my inbox has a new message!  
- P.S. I love Thor as well and I hope I got his characteristics and mannerisms pretty well. He's funny to write as. **_


	6. Ch 6: Snapped

_**Hello! I hope you all didn't wander off because I've been so long! I've been quite busy. You know how it is. I just have a mad social life full of excitement and fun and parties. Well, that bit's not true at all. I actually lack a social life. But hey. Sooooo anyway, many deep sincere apologies for the delay, and here's hoping that you'll still read! :)  
CHAPTER 6! (P.S. regrettably, I still do not own the Avengers.)**_

Mila and Thor wandered the many corridors of the Helicarrier, talking easily with one another. They received many curious looks - - he with golden hair, medieval armor, and chiseled physique, and she with slight build, youthful face, and abnormally pale eyes - - but they paid no mind. After the moment they had shared immersed in each other's emotions, all awkwardness that is normally present when a sarcastic jaded teenage girl meets a stalwart brave-hearted mythological god of thunder had dissipated.

They were each quite pleased with their new companion. Thor listened intently to Mila's every word, something she appreciated deeply, and he offered his simple straightforward advice when he could. Mila did not judge Loki nor his relation to Thor, and her open tone to him was tinged with a bit of reverence but no fear, which he found refreshing after so many humans had cowered from his anomalous presence.

As they rounded a corner, Thor looked up. "I believe if we go this way, we can drop in and visit Friend Tony and the doctor scientist he works with." He shot a glance at his young companion. "That is, if it suits you." Mila had informed him of her rocky relationship with her uncle.

Mila laughed. "It suits me, thank you. I'll be fine. I'm sure you could use the company of your teammates." They turned down a hall and came to a room which was securely locked. Inside was Tony Stark and Bruce Banner poring intently over computers, tapping commands into keyboards, and moving figures across touchscreens.

Thor knocked on the glass of the window, and without even seeing who it was, Tony made a shooing motion with his hand. Thor frowned. "It seems as though they do not wish our company."

"Well, we wish their company, so they're just going to have to deal." Mila glanced at the panel beside the door, studied it for a fraction of a second, then tapped in a long password that caused a green light to flash and the door to hiss open.

"Magic," murmured Thor in disbelief. "You possess control of magic."

"No, I see things. Just not dead people." She waltzed in the room, glancing appreciatively at the technology surrounding her.

"Three's a crowd," snapped Tony without moving his head, typing furiously into a computer.

"Four's a party," Mila offered, motioning Thor to step in. Tony sighed, closed his eyes as if he really didn't want to look up, then looked up. "We thought we'd come say hello!" Mila added, trying out a smile. Thor had suggested being nice to her uncle, and she guessed it was worth a shot.

"Well, say goodbye instead." Tony smirked. "You should head back to the nursery. We're in the middle of something really important right now."

"What, like ordering pizza online?" Mila snapped, then caught a sharp glance from Thor and coughed. "Uh, sorry. I mean…what are you working on?"

"Flattery gets you nowhere," Tony remarked, but he looked a bit taken aback at her apology. "Fury is hiding something from us. There's a bigger reason why we're all here, including Mr. Happy over there." Bruce looked up and waved. "And Jarvis is working his ass off to try and figure it out. Figuratively, of course. He's a computer. He doesn't have an ass. But if he did, he'd be working it off right now."

"Can I see?" Mila asked hesitantly, sidling closer to peek at his screen. Tony glared, but made no move to turn her away. "Hmm…hacking into his database like that is going to take forever. And he'll be alerted soon enough even with the protection Jarvis is using. If I could just - - " She placed her hands on the keyboard and looked at her uncle for permission. He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, but nodded. She couldn't help but smile, and a corner of his mouth lifted slightly, which widened her grin. She turned back and scrutinized the screen for a few moments, lips moving soundlessly. Her eyes flickered over the streaming information. Then she began to type, slowly at first but gaining speed until her fingers were flying over the keyboard. She sat back and waited for a page to finish loading, then gasped.

"You're not going to believe this…" she started, when Steve burst through the door, holding what looked like a gun. Fury skidded in right behind him. "Oh. Now you might believe this."

"Huh. Fury. Got a little secret there?" asked Tony casually, reading through the words on Mila's screen. He looked calm, almost bored, but Mila saw the inner rage simmering beneath his cool outward demeanor. "Wow, looks exciting. And not what I signed up for. So, you know what? I'm leaving. Booking out of here. This is it. I'm done. Don't ever call on me again to do this kind of shit, I won't answer. Who would want to work for a guy whose most secure database can be hacked by a little girl, anyway…"

Irritated by his selfish egotism, Mila stood up. "Tony! Stop it!"

Surprised, he wheeled to look at her. "Ah, finally dropped the 'Uncle' bit, I see."

"Yeah. It reminded me I was related to you."

"You know, not too long ago, that was a good thing." Tony sneered.

"Well, then I got to know you," Mila retorted.

"Stark, it's like she's a miniature version of you," remarked Rogers incredulously.

"Except she's female, which just makes it ten times worse," came Tony's snarky reply.

"Ten times _better_, you mean," Natasha corrected, walking though the doorway. "What in the name of God is going on in here?" Thor shrugged, assuming the question was directed towards him, and she threw him a disgusted glance. "I wasn't talking about _your _name. Watch your head, it might swell so big that your pretty helmet may not fit anymore."

"Hey, leave the guy alone, he can't help his adorably idiotic cluelessness. Just like this guy can't help his adorably maniacal rage that turns him into a giant green wrecking ball." Tony nodded towards Bruce, whose lips tightened.

"Now you're just being unnecessarily mean! Stop it!" Mila grabbed his sleeve in an effort to constrain her uncle, and he whirled quickly, a sarcastic comeback intended to cut her down already on his lips. Instead, he cut her down in another way.

It was quite by accident, the hit; she had leaned in just as he jerked his elbow back. The result was that Mila stumbled backwards a few steps and brought a hand to her face in shock. When she looked at her fingers, blood from her nose were spattered there. Her jaw was throbbing as well.

Everyone in the room was frozen, including Tony, who honestly had no idea what had just happened. "Did I do that?" he muttered, genuine confusion and concern lacing his voice.

Unfortunately, in her pain and anger, Mila took his words to be just another sarcastic ploy. "Yes," she snapped, ashamed of the tears that welled in her eyes and choked her vocal cords. Partly they were an automatic reflex, caused by the jab to the sensitive nerves of the nose; but they were also from her fragility and weariness caused by the day's disappointments and the build-up of constantly being shot down. She wanted to say more, to rant and rail against her uncle and the rest of them and just everyone in the world who didn't believe in her…but she was so, so tired. Tired of yelling. Tired of trying to make them see when they clearly didn't want to. Tired of being around people who didn't even care. "Yes," she mumbled again, thickly. "I … " her voice cracked miserably, and for the second time that day - - for the second time in her life - - Mila Stark ran crying out of a room.

She had cried before, yes. But they had always been silent tears, locked up in her bedroom, buried into a pillow. Never before had such heaving sobs threatened to break free and completely rack her body. She ran through the halls, trying desperately to keep herself under control; at least until she could find a private room where she could at last let herself be overwhelmed by her own feelings.

: ~ * ~ :

If asked later, Mila never could have said exactly how she ended up sneaking in that particular doorway. It was almost as if her feet had carried themselves down that hallway, almost as if her fingers moved themselves to hack into the panel lock, almost as if her mind had been not her own; almost as if it were…magic.

However she got in, it was a long time before she realized where she was. Or was it very long? It could have been a couple of minutes or a couple of hours. Time has almost no meaning when you allow pent-up emotion that has been shut away for many years to finally expose itself. She sat just inside the doorway, knees tucked up close to her chest, and cried so hard she felt light-headed.

"Why do you allow them to hurt you?"

Mila physically jumped when she heard the voice, smooth and soft as silk, land on her ear. "Who - who's there?" she quavered, hastily wiping her eyes.

A light, silvery laugh danced through the air. "One who will not judge, which is more than you can say for those out there. Now, I have answered your question. Answer mine."

Carefully, Mila stood, and for the first time took in her surroundings. She was in a huge, circular room. At the center was a glass cage or holding cell of some sort, with a railing separating the walkway from getting too close. Buttons blinked on a control panel close by. The voice was emanating from a lone shadowed figure standing in the cage, legs spread slightly, hands clasped behind his back, almost as if he had been expecting her.

"I don't understand the question," Mila replied honestly. Her head ached and all she wanted to do was lie down, and possibly cry some more. She felt so broken, shattered, as if the physical blow had finally knocked the fight out of her. The straw that broke the camel's back in the form of an errant elbow.

The figure sighed through his nose. "Yes, you do. You just aren't sure how to answer it. It should be simple, even I know the answer. But I'll ask it one more time." He cleared his throat and carefully articulated his next words, as if speaking to a small, slightly deaf child. "Why do you allow them to hurt you?"

"I…I don't _allow_ them to hurt me. They just do."

"Ah, that's where you're wrong!" The speaker did not sound disappointed at her apparently erroneous answer; on the contrary, he seemed delighted to correct her. "A lady whom I understand was quite famous in your world once said, 'No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.' You give them consent to hurt you, my dear. You must find a way to take control, to be superior. You already _are_ superior to them, you know. You are far, far above them. And yet they do not see it. Find a way to rise to your rightful place. Overcome."

Mila frowned. There was something ominously familiar about his silky voice. It matched the achingly persistent eyes that haunted her dreams. But her head was buzzing unnaturally and she couldn't make the connection. "Overcome," she repeated slowly. "As in…"

That fragile silver laugh again. "As in, you and I have much to discuss. But this is neither the time nor the place for it."

"I should leave," Mila said suddenly, in a moment of perfect clarity. _I should not be here_. Without waiting for a response, she turned and walked out the door, her mind fighting against the humming that seemed to be boring into her skull.

As her footsteps receded, Loki dipped his head slightly. "You'll be back," he whispered as he sat on his thin cot. He closed his eyes meditatively, but only for a moment. An echoing boom and a slight shudder over the entire carrier gave them cause to flick open again. "Ah," he sighed contentedly. "You _will_ be back. Perhaps sooner than I had thought." As the wail of sirens penetrated even his thick metal walls, the lord of mischief stood. He allowed no smile, but his countenance was one of undeniable pleasure.

: ~ * ~ :

As Mila walked back along the hallway, a sudden muffled explosion and a shift in the angle of the ship ship caused her to stumble and lose her balance. "What…" Sirens began to cry out and emergency lights flashed everywhere, even as the main ones blinked out. With a sick feeling of dread, Mila began to run towards the room where she had left the Avengers.

You didn't need to be able to see patterns to figure out this was not good.

_**I didn't particularly like this chapter, actually. That's two in a row that didn't go the way I quite wanted. Oh well. Cheers. Hope you like it better than I do! Review? Yeah? Thank you you're all beautiful people even if you don't review. **_


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